Michael Eugene Archer born February 11, 1974, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer better known by his stage name D’Angelo. He rose to prominence after co-producing the hit “U Will Know” by R&B ensemble Black Men United.
Brown Sugar (1995), his debut studio album, gained considerable acclaim from music critics, who credited the record with ushering in the neo-soul genre; it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Its third single “Lady”, hit the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.
Why was D’Angelo controversial?
After the tour, a couple of deaths in his family shattered his personal life — “I just kind of went into this thing [after that],” he told GQ.
n 2005, D’Angelo was arrested and accused of driving while intoxicated, as well as possession of marijuana and cocaine.
D’Angelo was reared in a completely Pentecostal family because his father was a Pentecostal preacher. Archer’s musical abilities were noticed while he was a toddler. He was three years old when his 10-year-old brother Luther noticed him playing the house piano.
After founding a musical group in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia, Michael Archer and Precise won success in the Amateur Night competition at Harlem, New York’s Apollo Theater in 1991.
The 18-year-old dropped out of school and relocated to New York City to pursue a music career.
The trio earlier garnered considerable attention in Richmond, evenly dividing their repertoire between soul covers and originals, as D’Angelo amassed his own compositions and honed his songwriting skills.
